Power Rangers: Lords of Bad Axe
by BlackDeath1000
Summary: Two years ago the door was opened. And now no one is safe, especially not with a broken Ranger on his last legs and a city nearly fallen into its own footprint. Desperate times have called for desperate measures, and Tommy must find a new host for the Morphing Grid's power if Angel Gove, or Daventry Hills, has any chance of standing against this new threat.
1. Chapter 1: Proluge

Power Rangers: Lords of Bad Axe

Casting

Wyatt Black– Andrew Garfield

Dante Ontero – Dylan O'Brien

Lyle Hugginson– Jesse T. Usher

Brian Hugginson - Mahershala Ali

Angie Prieto – Aimee Carrero

Joaquin Prieto - Reinaldo Zavarce

Ginger - Gage Golightly

Max Ross – Lonny Ross

Connor – Connor Del Rio

Sarah – Katie Cassidy

Ashley - Kathryn Mccormick

Prologue

"Max, you idiot. Enough was never enough for you. And now look where we are." The legendary Ranger known as Tommy Oliver looked out of his classroom window as he peered directly over the construction workers putting the final touches on Daventry Hill's reconstruction immediately following the "incident" as people who were oblivious to the true cause of the chaos that ensued two years ago.

To them, it was an earthquake that almost leveled the small town. To Tommy, it was his final battle as the Green Ranger that his body could take. Every time he looked out and saw people trying to go on about their lives, even two years removed from the incident, he couldn't help but shake his head. Men, women, and children were lost in the thunderous battle that shook the town to its core and nearly unraveled it at the seams.

Even in victory, it still felt like a great loss to the last Ranger.

His blood began to boil as a black limousine pulled up. An elderly gentleman stepped out of the driver seat and opened the back door, as a relatively tall man in his early thirties exited the vehicle in a three-piece maroon suit.

Max Ross. Surely the "playboy" and mayor of this town wasn't going to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty? He was hardly dressed for the occasion. It would show some form of loyalty to his city to the normal man and woman. A publicity stunt to those more cynical. And an act of guilt to Tommy. After all, he was the one who started this devastation, to begin with.

His thoughts were brought to a close once he heard the sound of his door swinging open. His chemistry students began pouring into his class. Either they were eager to learn about energy and thermodynamics, or they just wanted their last class on a Friday to hurry up and be over with.

At any rate, so was he. So, he did what he rarely ever even thought about. "Good news, students. I'm dismissing class early today. Pack up your things and enjoy your weekend." The class erupted with elation as the boys' high-five one another and the girls were already discussing what party they would go to tonight. Tommy had a party of his own to get to, once he saw Max hop back into his limo and drive back presumably to his office. It was time to break out his party suit... god that sounded corny.

* * *

Max slumped into his office, head hung low as he just finished an entire day's worth of paperwork, public speeches and supervising construction.

It was exhausting, but the guilt he felt for what he had unleashed on the world would not subside until he made a conscious effort to rectify his mistake. Both in the public eye and without.

He unbuttoned his suit before slinging it across the floor. He walked over to his desk and sat down, or more accurately fell into the leather armchair. His mind was completely shot, and speaking of which, he pulled his secret stash of Jack Daniels from the bottom drawer of his desk and began to drink. No chaser, not even a cup. Just straight to the head.

He was even on the second gulp before he spotted what could best be described as a dancing shadow in his peripheral vision. "Jesus Christ. A headache continues." A figure that could, under the right circumstances, strike fear into the heart of just about any man.

Yet Max Ross was different altogether, not to mention the fact that he's seen this figure too many times to count. "What do you want T-" Before he could even finish, Tommy, now garbed as the Magna Defender moved across the room from the left and covered Max Ross' mouth before he blurted out something they would _both_ regret.

Unfortunately, talking out of his ass was normal for the thirty-year-old, so Tommy didn't know if it was the liquor or the man talking at that point. "I wish I could have gotten to you before you got to that bottle because I need you sober right now." Tommy spat between clenched teeth, his voice disguised by the helm he wore.

Max slapped his hand away from him. "Really, Tommy? You think one gulp of liquor is going to have me sloppy drunk? You should know me better than that." Max was smiling in a fashion that only the holiest of men could reserve from punching him in the mouth.

"I don't know you, at all. Apart from the fact that you nearly destroyed-"

"Destroyed the city, I 've given me this speech a hundred times the past two years, and I've been busting my ass trying to make up for it. You guilt-tripping me every five seconds isn't going to bring anyone back or put Mandark back in his cage." Max interrupted.

Tommy should have slung him across the room for what he just said, how nonchalantly he spoke of the lives he ruined. However, despite every aspect telling him to do so, his mind spoke with a voice of truth. He wasn't lying.

As much as he hated to admit it, these past two years Tommy had exhausted every avenue to finish Mandark off for good. But he was always frustrated by failure. And so, he would come to Max to vent his frustrations. To grasp at some form of heroism that has all but been proven to be outdated.

In the beginning of it all, it would work, Max would cower in fear and shame as Tommy stood over him, feeling as powerful as he wished he had against Mandark as he read him his rights.

Yet as months passed and Max started doing more and more philanthropy and made more progress on finding Mandark than he has, the guilt started to fade and was replaced with conviction and resolve.

Tommy backed up as he took it all in, once again. He was doing nothing other than trying to compensate for his failures, and poorly at that. He sighed audibly, in defeat.

Max actually showed a glimpse of empathy towards the broken Ranger. "Hey, don't bring the whole room down with that attitude. Crime rates have dropped ever since you stepped in. What happened with Mandark… I don't think it's fair to put all the blame on any one person alone."

Tommy glanced up at Max as the last word fell from his mouth. Damn it, once again, he was right. Tommy had just as much to do with Mandark being unleashed as Max did. He leaned up against the wall and crossed his arms. Now calm, he was ready to discuss how they were going to put an end to this for good.

"Fine. You win. Do you have any more intel on 'em?" Tommy asked. Max looked surprised at the sudden change in demeanor. "Why so civil all of a sudden? Weren't you here to rough me up a bit?" He spoke with not a sliver of insecurity in his voice.

"Oh, believe me, I'm still on the fence about it. But we have bigger problems to deal with right now."

Max chuckled to himself. "Suuure you are. Anyway, I managed to dig up some files from Billy's computer. His firewall was a bitch to get into, but I finally got the source codes for Mandark's design. And, well, you won't believe this."

"We were attacked by a computer program we created two years ago, try me." Tommy retorted.

Max shrugged to himself. "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you." Max waved his hand to the side as a hologram appeared seemingly from thin air in the middle of the office.

Tommy didn't know what he was supposed to be looking at. "Despite that helmet, I can tell you're confused. Allow me to explain," Max spoke up before taking another swig of the Jack.


	2. Chapter 2: Episode One

"The algorithm from Billy's hidden files indicates that the source codes were translated from an ancient language that Billy wasn't able to decipher. He didn't have time before Mandark burst through the dimensional gateway." Max explained.

Tommy didn't need to be reminded of how his friend was killed. When Mandark arrived, he didn't waste any time targeting the first Ranger he could by erasing him from this plane of reality. Deep down, he wished that Billy was perhaps transported somewhere else instead of being outright killed. However, he knew better.

"What's your point, Max?" He asked, grimly. Max noticed how Tommy's posture had changed to that of even more grief. This time, sarcastic cracks weren't in anyone's best interest; emotionally or physically. "My point is, we weren't responsible for Mandark arriving on earth. At least, not totally. He already existed, but was locked away. Yet, somehow, we broke the lock and released him by tampering with whatever ancient technology was created to keep him at bay in the first place."

Tommy felt _a little_ better. But that didn't change the fact that they released what they now believed to be an ancient evil on the world. "Great, now we have a vague idea of where he comes from…."

"And where he may be now."

* * *

 _Here lies Billy Cranston_

 _Friend, Father, Husband, Brother_

 _Hero_

Wyatt Black stood over his father's grave. Dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, he adjusted his glasses while he simultaneously ran his hand over the tombstone.

His dad was a tech developer for Max Ross before he won the race for Mayoral candidacy. The head of the R.D department which spearheaded a project not known to the public, he met his end before he could see his work completed by an explosion that blew away his entire office.

Wyatt had always thought that it was strange how the night before, he wasn't speaking to either him nor his mom but instead looked paler than ever. He would talk, eat, or even sleep. Despite this, he consistently tried to divert their attention from his obvious change in demeanor. The next day, he was caught in an explosion? One, mind you, that only affected his side of the building. What had his father been working on? And more to the point did it cost him his life.

Wyatt didn't have any more time to ponder on this, as his Apple watch beeped loudly enough to break his train of thought. It was seven thirty. Time to meet Lyle and Dante for some mind-numbing gaming.

As much as he hated to do it, his therapist alerted him of his constant obsession with the circumstances surrounding his father's death. Hanging out with friends would probably help him cope in a not-so-direct fashion.

"I swear to you, dad. I'll find out what happened. And if _any_ foul play was involved; I'll burn those monsters to the ground." He stated as his fist clenched tightly. He took a deep breath and took his mind off of his anger before walking to his rusty blue Ford and all but speeding off towards Lyle's place.

* * *

"Yo, Dante! Pass me those chips!" Lyle yelled at his friend from the other side of the room. Lyle's house was a pretty decent size, despite the fact that his dad lost to Max Ross during the mayoral race, he still had a pretty deep pocket. Three bedrooms, two baths, and a living room that was large enough for a small family reunion. Dante and Lyle held their little gaming sessions in the living room where a large red couch fit for three grown men lay in the epicenter.

Their Playstation 4s and Xbox Ones were all hooked up to the massive 40 inch HD television.

"Jesus, dude, I'm literally right across the room. DO YOU HAVE TO YELL?!"

Lyle laughed unintentionally at his hyperactive friend's overreaction. He and Dante have been on opposite ends of the social spectrum for both their freshman and sophomore years at Daventry Hills High. It wasn't until their junior year that they crossed paths. Dante had gotten into a fistfight with one of the lineman on the football team, Derek. No one really liked him; he was always talking trash despite being a third-stringer. So when Dante popped him in the mouth, Lyle was more than happy to cheer the outcast on.

"Sorry, it wasn't like I just got back from that totally lit party over at Baer's. The one you decided to skip." Lyle said sarcastically as he caught the chips Dante threw at him.

"...Did you just say 'totally lit'? You sound like my grandad." Dante retorted as he went back to the fridge for some drinks.

"Not my best line, I admit, but dude you should have gone to that party. The girls in there were insane."

"I always did dig crazy chicks. But I think I'm good. Besides, I already have my eyes set on one girl anyway." Dante explained as he popped open the canister.

Lyle sighed. "You're not still pining over that Angie chick, are you? You've liked her since I've known you."

Dante didn't respond.

"I take your silence as an admission that you really need to expand your horizons. Besides, I've seen the way Ginger looks at you. I think she'd be interested."

Ginger was one of the smartest and prettiest girls in their class. Beautiful hazel eyes, bouncy blonde hair and a naturally voluptuous body. Most of the football team wanted to take a crack at her. But she's kept hers glued on Dante. And after what he did to Derek, everyone pretty much agreed to move on to something else. That's all Lyle really knew about her, he had his own girlfriend and the information he has now is only hearsay.

"Ginger actually knows I exist?" Dante asked jokingly. Lyle rolled his eyes. "Yeah, dude. The whole school knows about you now."

Dante knew what he was referring to: Derek. "I swear I wouldn't have punched him so hard if he didn't try to treat me like a fucking punchline."

"I know champ, I know."

Before their conversation could be finished, Wyatt pulled up and knocked on the door. Lyle opened it with open arms. "Yo! Black Death! Ready for some Overwatch?"

Wyatt clasped hands with Lyle and pulled him in for a bro hug. He nodded in Dante's direction as he waved back in response. "You do know that most of the people on there are like twelve years old, right?" Wyatt teased.

Lyle merely shrugged. "Don't worry about the ankle biters. I've already got a private lobby set up. Now let's kick some ass!"

Lyle's enthusiasm was soon interrupted by a tremor that shot through the ground and nearly knocked the three boys off their feet. "The hell? An earthquake in Daventry Hills? Oh shit, that hasn't happened since…." Wyatt trailed off as another tremor finished the job at knocking the three boys straight to their butts. Pictures of Lyle's family hit the ground and the entire living room seemed like it was being pulled apart at the seams.

"Everybody to the basement! My dad has an emergency room downstairs we can use!" The three boys soon bolted up to their feet and made it down the steps as quickly as possible. Lyle type in the passcode that allowed the door to unlock before leading everyone in. He then slammed the door shut behind them.

"Good. We can barely feel the tremors anymore." Dante sighed in relief. Wyatt slid into one of the many chairs Mr. Hugginson had in the safe room. This room made the house upstairs look small in comparison. It was a gray steel color and had rations, first aid kits, and beds scattered all over the place.

"Jesus, dude. This place is huge." Wyatt said in disbelief.

"After the incident, my dad became paranoid and built this just in case. I and mom thought he was crazy, but look where crazy got us."

Before the three boys could continue their conversation on the fruits of paranoia, the tremors ceased. But were replaced with the sound of something incredibly powerful ripping the steel door off its hinges.


	3. Chapter 3: Episode Two

Lyle, Dante, and Wyatt stood there, gaping in awe at the strength of whatever beast was literally ripping the door off of its hinges. The earthquakes hit them a few minutes ago…. Was it possible that this thing was the cause of it?

Dante began to step back, reaching into his back pocket, his eyes focused as the door was completely destroyed with little to no he saw on the other side of that door made his blood boil.

Thunderon. One of the most diabolical creatures of old. One he thought the Lightspeed Rescue cell destroyed years ago. Of all the creatures that could have come knocking down their door, it had to be him. He thought that final crisis the Rangers would ever have to face ended two years ago when Maldark was sealed back in his cage. Yet apparently, he must have found a way to resurrect past monsters even when locked up.

Thunderon roared with enough force and ferocity that he incapacitated Lyle and Wyatt immediately. They fell to the ground with a thud face first. Dante ran towards his two friends and checked their pulse before he could get a good read, Thunderon smashed into him with a tackle, sending him reeling to the other side of the safe house.

Good thing they were in the basement, otherwise this night was not going to end well for Lyle's house.

Out of instinct, Dante morphed into his Ranger form; donning it's incredible power so that he could actually stand a fighting chance against this behemoth. All of this was done before he even hit the floor. He flipped backward and landed gracefully on the floor in a three-point landing. He didn't have time to even catch his breath before Thunderon launched his humongous spiked fist straight for the Ranger's helm.

He ducked to the right side, the spike leaving a small graze on the bottom of the helm. Thunderon's fist went straight into the wall behind Dante.

"Ha! Ha! Back again for more?! I could have sworn I crushed your skull, the last time we met Ranger." Thunderon cackled.

Beneath his Black helm, Dante had sneered at Thunderon with a seething anger that made his blood boil. The Ranger he was referring was Adam Park. Dante's mentor and father figure who taught him what it truly means to wear this uniform. To be the people's angel. Their guardian. Whatever the people they loved needed them to be. His death was one of the many atrocities committed by these inhumane creatures.

Dante threw his arm out as purple energy manifested in his right hand, the humming power decreased in intensity as the Power Axe was made manifest. Still smoking with from the brilliant energy and light from whence it came, Dante pointed it's blade directly at Thunderon.

"I swear, on my mentor's grave, I'm going to send you back to the pit you crawled out of in pieces." Dante pointedly stated. He tried his best not to let even a sliver of emotion escape his voice so Thunderon wouldn't get any ideas.

Unfortunately, the brute was smarter than he looked.

"Awww. Looks like the kiddies are trying to pick up the dead weight of the ones who came before. Don't get ahead of yourself, boy. You'll never be able to fill those shoes in but one way-" Thunderon smashed his spiked fist together creating a miniature shock wave between them. "You're going to look just as nice as he does in a dirt hole."

Before Dante could utter a word or even flinch, Thunderon has seemingly teleported in front of Dante and propelled his fist towards his chin in what looked to be a devastating uppercut. They blew through the roof of the house, obliterating the kitchen floor above the basement. Dante still had his head attached to his shoulders, and Thunderon had a massive gash across his chest.

"Ooooh. That's one more hit that you landed than your mentor did." Thunderon cackled, as though he was reveling in the thought of a good fight.

Dante lamented the fact that Lyle's house was all but ruined, but it was more of a subconscious thought in the back of his mind. Right now, as he was plummeting towards the ground, his mind was only on finishing this as quickly as possible with no more collateral damage. They crashed on the gravel, their footprints being steeped in the pavement. So much for that.

Thunderon moved once more, this time, Dante met him halfway as he launched his Power ax towards another spiked fist.

* * *

"What. The. FUCK?!" Lyle screamed as loud as he could. First, some demon looking monster literally burst through his father's steel, damn near vault-like door. Then, he gets knocked out without even putting up a fight. And now he sees _this!?_ A hole through the top of the basement safe house, the kitchen floor and even the damn roof. Just. WHY!? He was literally shaking, trembling with a combination of fury and fear so intense he thought he was going to break down in tears from the inner conflict or just faint again. The latter option was less insulting to his dignity.

Wyatt began to grudgingly ascend from his forced unconscious state, now he was beginning to take in all the damage that was done to Lyle's house. He couldn't help but feel bad for his friend. He slowly began to stand and walk over to Lyle whose hands were firmly clasped atop his head in pure shock at what had become of what was supposed to be a relaxing night for Dante, Wyatt and himself.

Wait.

Dante.

"Dude! Where the hell is Dante?!"

His questions were seemingly answered by the sickening thud of a body slamming into the ground.

* * *

 _This chapter is a little shorter than the former one, probably because it was mostly a fight scene._


	4. Chapter 4: Episode Three

Wyatt ran with break necks speedstowards the front of the house where the blood curdling sound originated. Wyatt was able to ignore the damage done to the house once he realised his friends could have been killed.

Lyle, on the other hand, made a slight detour and grabbed the shotgun his father kept in this room behind the pile of clothes in the closet. If whatever that thing was hurt or even killed his friend, he would make sure that it didn't happen to him or Wyatt. Not to mention what the thing did to his home.

Wyatt burst through the door, Lyle only steps behind. The goliathan creature was hurling itself towards the ground towards….a Power Ranger! The Ranger was laid flat in a crater that was still smoking from the impact. As the creature's spike fists rained down on him, he just managed to move out of the way before his strike connected.

The creature's attack created another tremor that shook Wyatt and Lyle. "So this thing was to cause of those earthquakes…" Wyatt whispered to himself. Lyle couldn't balance the gun properly due to the ground shaking and was trying his best to not accidentally shoot himself, Wyatt, or the Ranger.

Wyatt reached out and helped him without even needing to look. "I think we have enough problems as is without you shooting one of us."

Lyle merely stared at the creature, unresponsive. What happened to Dante?

Dante could see Wyatt and Lyle staring on in amazement at what was most likely their first time seeing a Power Ranger fight…. Well, anything. Especially a demonic kaiju. But he couldn't afford to be distracted at this point. For the safety of his friends, he had to focus on the fight.

He snatched his Power Blaster from his side and began to let loose a volley of energy blast that swarmed Thunderon; his inability to react to the light-speed blasts was just the opening Dante needed. He knew his battle ax would be unable to serve the final blow to the monster. So, he opted for another weapon. He drew the Dragon coin he kept within the handle of the ax before seemingly crushing it in his hand. Emerald power washed over him as he now donned the Dragon Shield.

With speeds granted a significant boon by the armor, he moved towards Thunderon with speeds surpassing the blast themselves before he sank the Dragon Sword into the monster's chest. Green energy spewed from his chest through his back like a torrent.

Thunderon yelled and finally groaned in pain as he fell to the ground and began to disappear in a huff of black smoke. "It's….over?" Dante whispered in slight surprise. The Dragon Sword and Shield were not to be underestimated. Now wonder Tommy loved them so much.

He grasped at the center plate of the armor as it and the dagger once again took the form of energy and drew itself into Dante's gloved hand, forming the coin that he reinserted into the base of the ax.

He saw Lyle and Wyatt slowly approaching. "Uh, excuse me sir, do you know where our friend is?" Wyatt tried to sound as respectful as possible to a Ranger. His dad was once, after all and he raised him to respect the uniform. Whatever color it may be.

Lyle was still holding his shotgun. Yet he was standing perfectly still, like he was stuck in a trance. His mom always waxed poetic about the Power Rangers, her adventures with them and how many lives they saved. But to see one in person? It almost sent a shiver down his spine. He felt like a kid meeting Superman.

Dante spoke, his voice modulator hiding his true identity from his friends. "He shoudn't be far from here. Rest assured I will find him and he will be returned home safely. And don't worry about the house. I will make sure all damages are compensated for the Monster Reconstruction department. That way, you won't have to wait for the insurance to come out." Dante pulled a small sphere from his holster and handed it to Wyatt. "Here, this should generate a force-field until the crew arrives."

"Thanks." Wyatt said.

Dante turned to leave before Wyatt stopped him. "Hey, uh… Mr. Black Ranger?" Wyatt said weakly as he held his hand out signaling him to stop. Dante stopped and turned towards him. Wyatt gulped at the sudden attention. "Did you know my father? His name was Billy Cranston."

Dante winced inwardly at the question. Billy was Adam's best friend in the Power Rangers and he knew where this question was headed. His father died two years ago under mysterious circumstances. Even he didn't know what happened. "I didn't know him personally. But my predecessor assured me he was one of the best men he had ever known. Both as a brother in arms and as a friend. It seems he's passed on those traits to his son." Dante spoke finally before teleporting away.

Wyatt couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at the Ranger's kind words about his father. But that didn't change the fact that he's gone now and Wyatt still doesn't know what happened. He turned towards Lyle who was still staring off. "Uhhh. Dude?" Wyatt asked.

"Huh, oh! Yeah! Wha-what you need?" Lyle said, trying to regain his composure. "What about your house?" Wyatt chuckled.

"Oh, it's fine. The guy said he had people who would pay for it. So it's all good."

Wyatt just nodded in agreement. "Should I stay here? I mean you do have a giant hole in your house. Add that to the fact of whose house it is, and I think you may have a slight problem with sticky fingers that may be around."

Lyle brandished his shotgun. "Let 'em try. Second amendment, baby."

Wyatt sighed, before pulling out the force field sphere. "Here, bro. Don't want you going to jail or getting killed over this. You can stay at my place." Wyatt, pressed the button before throwing it at the house. Sure enough, a giant blue forcefield manifested itself over the house.

"How do you know how to use those things?" Lyle asked.

"My dad taught me." Wyatt said in an almost grim tone as he stared at the translucent barrier.


	5. Chapter 5: Episode Four

Dante slid to the floor, head in hands as he closed the door to his bedroom behind him. Eventually, he had to make his way back to his friends before they got worried and called the police. But he was still sore from his recent fight with Thunderon. The power armor saved his life, but not his bones from being rattled. "I just need to soldier through it and get back to Wyatt and Lyle. I don't need them getting so worried they might stumble across something that could get them hurt."

Dante's resolve was set, he slowly ascended to his feet and began his trek towards the door. No sooner than he grasped the doorknob that he heard keys being fumbled through from the other side. What? It couldn't be Lyle and Wyatt, could it? They must have run out of options and just come to his house as a last resort. Even so, they didn't have a key to his house. He didn't have much of a choice, either way. Either he answered it and answer twenty questions or whoever it was would call the cops, or his sister, out of fear and alert them of his going missing after Thunderon attacked the house.

He opened the door to find his older sister on the other side. "Sarah?" He blurted out. His sister, Sarah Ontero, didn't even respond to the question as she launched into him with a hug so hard he could swear he was being strangled by a Boa Constrictor. "Oh, God! You're okay!" She screamed as she damn near made him go unconscious. "I take it you heard about Lyle's house?" He joked between pained breaths. She pulled away from him faster than she grasped onto him the first time.

"Very funny! I didn't know what happened when I drove by and saw his house trashed! Cops everywhere, couldn't even get past anyone between gawking onlookers and cops being damn near on top of each other trying to investigate." She said, almost hysterically. "And you not answering the damn phone didn't help matters either." She nearly growled out.

Dante reached into his pocket and held up his phone to see how many missed calls he got. "Whoa," He couldn't help but blurt out. "Fifteen missed calls. And ten of them are from you."

Sarah crossed her arms in a huff. "Yeah, and not a single hint that you received any of them." Sarah took a deep breath, "But, I guess since you did save your friends from dying a horrible death, I guess I can give you a pass."

She playfully punched him in the arm. "But call next time."

Dante nodded. "Duly, noted. By the way, do you have any idea why Thunderon showed up in the first place?"

This time, Sarah screwed her face up at her little brother. "I haven't had the time to check. My morpher detected a spike in Kaiju energy out of nowhere. Nothing before or after, just a spontaneous eruption that disappeared without a trace once you took the monster out."

Dante placed his hands in his pockets as he thought. "Come to think of it, he didn't even enlarge his size like his kind normally does whenever they're regular bodies are destroyed."

This whole thing was starting to become bothersome in Dante's mind. A random monster appears and trashes Lyle's house. Probably searching for Dante. That made him feel good. Knowing he was the cause of his friend's home being destroyed. But this wasn't about him, it was about protecting his friends.

"Good thing I gave Wyatt that force-field generator." He spoke aloud, meaning only to think it to himself.

Sarah heard him and asked in confusion, "Wait, how did you know he knew how to use it?"

"Wyatt's dad was the Blue Ranger. I was pretty sure that he taught Wyatt how to make his way around some tech in case of certain situations. Besides, I was fully morphed, so even if he did get suspicious he'd probably just chalk it up to the new Black Ranger knowing a little something about his old man."

She didn't look fully convinced but conceded to trust her brother. "Let's hope so. We wouldn't want any of your friends to be dragged into this unnecessarily."

"I couldn't agree more, now if you'll excuse me. I have to get ready to try and explain to my friends why I disappeared." Dante spoke with a not so subtle hint of exasperation in his voice. He tapped his morpher and teleported back to Lyle's house.

Lyle and Dante were looking everywhere for their friend. They had called only a bazillion times and were even screaming his name. Hell, even some of the neighbors were looking for the boy. Wyatt was really starting to get worried that something horrible had happened. "Lyle, what if-"

"Don't even go there," Lyle spoke, cutting off Wyatt from speaking such something negative about Dante. "We'll find him. I know it."

Dante hid behind a tree as he looked at his friends desperately searching for him. He slouched down and used the fact that he just got into a fistfight with a demon to his advantage in looking like he was actually recovering from the repercussions of a monster attack. He looked at his phone and saw how many times Wyatt and Lyle tried to reach him. "Jeez, twenty-seven missed calls? They're giving Sarah a run for her money."

He stood up, holding onto his ribs and walked out into the open. One of the neighbors saw him and yelled while pointing at him. "Hey! I found him! I found the boy!"

Dante's eyes twitched in irritation. The boy? These people where out here looking for a guy whose name they didn't even know? He didn't have much time to continue his thoughts as Lyle and Wyatt sprinted at him full speed to see if he was okay. "Dude! Are you alright? What happened?" They nearly spoke I perfect unison.

"Nothing, much. I blacked out after that thing roared, and that's all I could remember."

The three friends talked for at least another twenty minutes before they finally reached the conclusion that just about everything was above water. No terrible damages and no harm done to either of them thanks to the miraculous arrival of the Black Ranger. A story that had Dante fighting back to mother of all blushes when the two guys were waxing poetic about what they saw.

"Dude! You should have seen it! He totally kicked that thing's ass!" Lyle yelled.

Wyatt spoke up, "Yeah, it was really a sight. A Ranger hasn't been seen in over a decade."

Dante merely lets out a chuckle. "Yeah, well, they always show up when you need them, huh?"

The three boys re-entered Lyle's house to rest after their rather eventful evening. Dante was just glad he didn't make either of his companions suspicious and that today was just the beginning of the weekend. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it to school tomorrow.


End file.
